Deon Watson (from left), Bubba Duran, Keagan Dunn, Matt Howard and Jake Cheesman admire the trophy given to their team, the Coeur d'Alene Vikings football team, for Junior Male Team of the Year at the Sportswriters and Broadcasters luncheon Wednesday. Greg Lee story here. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)

• LCDC report: The year that was/Tom Hasslinger, Press
• Poop Fairy Campaign to fly into Boise/George Prentice, BW
• Ron Paul to campaign Friday in Spokane/Jim Camden, SR
• WAC commish leaving for Sun Belt/Brian Murphy, Statesman
• Weekend storm should bring rain, snow, wind/Mike Prager, SR
• 3 GOP candidate visits make unprecedented week in Idaho/KTVB
• Spokane man arrested for kicking sister's 18MO toddler in face/KXLY
• Preliminary hearings set in Bonner County slaying/Keith Kinnaird, Bee
• Idaho's Silver Valley may have long-term Superfund label/Becky Kramer, SR
• Police: Gilman used victim's phone to contact her family/Meghann Cuniff, SR
• Domestic terrorist Harpham now calls California home/Thomas Clouse, SR
•  

The lopsided score on Friday night raised some eyebrows around the state, so much so that Sandpoint athletic director Tom Albertson was fielding calls on Saturday from colleagues who hadn’t seen the game accusing the Vikings of running up the score. One caller had heard a rumor that Albertson and Coeur d’Alene athletic director Todd Gilkey engaged in a shouting match after the game. The funny thing was, Gilkey was not even present at the game. I had a front row seat for the action, and didn’t feel that the Vikings ran the score up, despite the high total. Running the score up usually occurs when starters are left in and teams continue to throw in the second half, and the Vikings did neither. They’re just a damn good football team, plain and simple, and could probably hang a similar number on a lot of 4A teams in Idaho/Eric Plummer, Bonner County Bee. More here. (SR file photo: Coeur d'Alene QB Chad Chalich, with ball, threw for three touchdowns against Lake City last year)

Question: What do you think about the lopsided 88-12 victory by powerhouse Coeur d'Alene High over Sandpoint last week?

Jim Gray and Warren Olson are the two finalists for the principal vacancy at Coeur d'Alene High School, according to an in-house memo to the CHS staff. Superintendent Hazel Bauman circulated the memo about two hours ago. She writes: “All five candidates were very accomplished  and had superb interviews. We are fortunate to have had such quality candidates. The two finalists will be at Coeur d’Alene High School Thursday, May 26th to meet with you as well as some students and parents.  Warren will be at CHS starting at 7:00am  and Jim will take the afternoon time frame.”

… that Coeur d'Alene High principal Randy Russell is going to be named officially as superintendent of the Freeman School District in Washington soon. The following announcement by Board Chair Brent Fetsch is currently on the Web page of the Freeman School District: “Our community was fortunate to have a quality pool of candidates interested in our superintendent position.  We interviewed four great finalists.  We are grateful for the participation and involvement of staff, students, and community.  Everyone’s input was very helpful.  The Board is pleased to announce that we have offered Randy Russell, currently principal of Coeur d'Alene High School, a contract for the position of Superintendent of Freeman School District.  Randy will join us at next Thursday’s board meeting.  Everyone is welcome to come and be introduced.” A Berry Picker believes that a special meeting for teachers aftere school today will address Russell's move to the Freeman School District.

Question: How would you rate the job that Randy Russell did as Coeur d'Alene High principal?

Coeur d’Alene High School students canceled a Monday morning walk-out to protest Idaho’s controversial school reform plan after the organizer said he didn’t want to jeopardize public support for Tuesday’s levy election. “We talked to the administration, and we didn’t want to give the impression that students are against the levy,” said Jesse Wedewer, a junior at Coeur d’Alene High. The Coeur d’Alene School District is asking voters to approve a $12.8 million-a-year, two-year maintenance and operations levy that would increase taxes by about $68 per year for the average Coeur d’Alene homeowner. Instead, Wedewer is urging students to attend an after-school rally Wednesday to support teachers/Spokesman-Review. More here. (AP, Idaho Press-Tribune file photo/Charlie Litchfield, of Boise High students protesting at Capitol Feb. 28)

Question: Would you participate in a walkout against Tom Luna's education “reform,” if you were a high school student in Idaho schools today?

Item: Curtis steps down as CHS volleyball coach after 7 seasons, says she’s tired of the hassle/Mark Nelke, Coeur d’Alene Press

More Info: “I’m tired of dealing with disgruntled/jealous parents and players that are taking their frustrations out on me and my daughter,” Curtis said. “And I am trying to look for a more peaceful atmosphere for me and my daughter.” Curtis’ daughter, Kylie, is a sophomore who has started at setter and/or hitter the past two seasons for the Vikings. She was named to the all-5A Inland Empire League team each season.

Question: Would you want to deal with parents of players as a coach of a high school sports team?

The outcome wasn’t surprising in the Coeur d’Alene/Lake City football game last week. What was eye opening was the fact that the Timberwolves had the lead late in the fourth quarter and almost pulled off the upset. A week later the teams meet in a State 5A playoff opener and the top-ranked Vikings (8-1) are again favored. But the Timberwolves (6-3), who qualified for the state playoffs for a 14th straight year, believe they can knock off their crosstown rival when the teams meet Friday at CdA. Kickoff is at 7. “We played really well last week, but they’re a very good football team,” LC coach Van Troxel said. “I still think, like I said at the start of the season, that three of the best five teams in the state are right here”/Greg Lee, SportsLink. More here. (SR file photo by Bruce Twitchell: Lake City’s Kaleb Mitchell knocks down a pass near the goal line intended for Post Falls’ Jordan Pastras.)

Question: Who will win this week, to move on in high school football playoffs?

Alisha Nowoj, far left 18, of Coeur d’Alene helped counter- protest the members of Westboro Baptist Church at North Idaho College this morning. (SR Photo: Kathy Plonka)

A crowd turned out in the early morning darkness in Coeur d’Alene today to counter the small group of protesters from Westboro Baptist Church that plans a second day of denouncing gays, soldiers, Jews, the United States, and private and public colleges and schools. The eight members of the extremist group from Topeka, Kan., were out holding signs at the corner of Fourth and Dalton streets, next to Coeur d’Alene High School, by 6 a.m., while at least 50 counter-demonstrators met them with messages of their own. “I don’t like the way they treat veterans at the funerals,” said Greg Prado of Hayden, a Marine who served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Prado attended with his son Cade, 6, and wife Amy/Alison Boggs, SR. More here.

• Nic: And they’re at Lake City HS with counter-protests across the street (both to the north and to the east). Oddly, a local is on the Westboro side with the Support Obama/vote Minnick sing. And he’s next to the “God hates boobies/gay people/America” people so it looks like he’s one of them.

Question: Am I the only one who feels sorry for the kids that Fred Phelps & his horrible family have drawn into their web of hate?

On his Facebook page, Mike Kennedy posts this photo and notes that the U.S. flag is being flown at half staff in honor of the former Senate Minority Leader Clint Stennett, who died recently after a long battle with brain cancer. Writes Mike: “I wanted to get a shot of the flag honoring Clint, and when I arrived for a meeting at my son’s school there it was in the beautiful bright sunshine. I asked the administrative assistant who confirmed the honoree was our friend. A very bittersweet moment for me. He is going to be missed by many.”

Question: When should flags at the state, school, county, or city be flown at half staff?

Perhaps the best football team in the region this year doesn’t reside in the Greater Spokane League. I suspect that team is about 32 miles east of Spokane. We can’t know if Coeur d’Alene is truly the best team in the area because the GSL and Inland Empire League teams aren’t playing this year as they have in recent seasons. I’d love to see a game between Ferris and Coeur d’Alene. That would settle the question for me. Over in Idaho, Coeur d’Alene is making a case that it’s one of the best teams in the state, if not the best. Last Friday, the Vikings (4-1) knocked off No. 1-ranked Rocky Mountain of Meridian 34-22. CdA moved from fifth to second in the poll this week/Greg Lee, SR. More here.

• Greg Lee’s Pick 6
• Viks No. 2 in Idaho football prep polls
  

Question: I watched and enjoyed Coeur d’Alene High’s 34-22 victory over then No. 1 Rocky Mountain last Friday. My son played for the Viks. I had forgotten how much fun high school football can be. How about you? Do you attend any prep football games?

In this Oct. 31, 2007, AP file photo, Margie M. Phelps, left, stands with her husband Pastor Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., and her daughter Margie J. Phelps during a demonstration outside the federal courthouse in Baltimore, Md.

Spokane and Coeur d’Alene have been targeted by the Westboro Baptist Church for a two-day blitz of protests and rallies at area high schools, colleges and several religious institutions later this month.The church, known for protesting military funerals with outrageous posters that claim everything from “God Hates America” to “Thank God for IEDs” and “Thank God For Dead Soldiers”, is planning a two-day blitz through the Inland Northwest October 21-22 with a series of 30-minute protests.The targets of the church’s protests include Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University and Whitworth University; local high schools including Rodgers High School and both Coeur d’Alene high schoolsl; and Spokane synagogue Chavurat HaMashiach/Rob Kauder, KXLY. More here.

• Westboro Baptist Church explains reasons for boycott here
  

Question: Is it best to ignore these hatemongers? Or stage a counter-protest?

Coeur d’Alene High was shut down this morning after a custodian found the remnants of a crudely made explosive near the outdoor concession stand at the north entrance to the football field at 9:50. According to a Coeur d’Alene police press release, the custodian contacted School Resource Officer Steve Harris. Harris examined the device and called for back-up to help search for other possible explosives. Two more similar devices were located near the south entrance to the football field. Both had already been detonated/Sgt. Christie Wood, Coeur d’Alene Police Department press release. Full release here.

Shae Carson of Coeur d’Alene High School throws the disc during the IEL track championships at Lake City High School last week. More by Greg Lee/SR here.

• Major construction begins between Post Falls, stateline/Erik Loney, KXLY
• Ada County prosecutors make driver apologize in paper/Natalie Hurst, KBOI
• CdA library use shows dramatic jump/Coeur d’Alene Today
• Mad Mike’s blends local vibes, great coffee/Ralph Bartholdt, Bonner County Bee
• Oldtown man to face trial on $439K embezzlement charge/Keith Kinnaird, Bee
• Man recovering after collapse at candidates’ forum/Terri Ivie, Hagadone News Network
• Committee offers disalogue on homelessness/Coeur d’Alene Today
• NIC selects Frohlich as head volleyball coach/Stacy Hudson, NIC Press Room.

Question: Did you compete in track & field in high school or college? Which event was your specialty?